Serine nearly fainted.

But the gleam of golden eyes before her felt strangely familiar.

‘The Grand Duke of Cardinel…?’

The moment she stopped struggling and stared at him, Valoid’s lips curved into a sly smile.

“See? I knew you’d remember me.”

“Why are you… here…?”

“Obviously, I came to kidnap you. Scream, and you’ll regret it.”

His finger tapped lightly against her lower lip, sending a shiver down her spine.

Without another word, Valoid hoisted her over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing. Though he didn’t seem to be in any hurry, they were deep into a mountain path in the blink of an eye.

“You’re obedient.”

Setting her down in a secluded spot, he looked faintly dissatisfied.

“That’s not a good thing. Women who are too obedient tend to have difficult lives.”

“…I’m not sure which way you want me to act.”

Serine asked, still catching her breath.

“Enrique… was that your doing, Your Highness?”

“Why? Worried about your brother?”

His eyes curved as he watched her closely—measuring, as if weighing how much Enrique meant to her.

“As you know, I’m not on particularly friendly terms with your father.”

“S-so… does that mean you—”

“Who knows? What do you think?”

He was toying with her.

It felt as though she were a mouse struggling beneath a cat’s paw.

“This isn’t the time to be worrying about someone else.”

“…What do you want from me?”

“What else? To finish what we started.”

Heat rushed to Serine’s face. It wasn’t just humiliation.

The memory surfaced—the man above her, brow furrowed, letting out low, strained breaths. His broad shoulders braced against the ground, his body moving with a controlled intensity she couldn’t forget.

“You were thinking about me too, weren’t you?”

He tapped lightly at her flushed ear.

“Did you think of me when you were alone? I’d like to see that.”

As she stepped back, he followed with ease. In a place like this, could she really escape someone like him?

“N-no!”

Serine shook her head frantically.

“My marriage has already been arranged. With the Herlach family—”

“What a shame. If you could hear properly, you’d know what kind of reputation that bastard Dave has.”

“….”

“Or maybe you do know? And you still plan to marry him? Admirable, in a way. Then why not give me a turn too?”

Despite his noble birth, his words were crude, almost careless. For the first time, she understood why her father despised him.

“If I had a choice, I wouldn’t want to marry at all. Someone like you wouldn’t understand that. And I don’t expect you to. So… I think we should go our separate ways.”

She forced her eyes wide, refusing to cry.

Then—

Warm lips brushed against her cheek.

“Don’t cry. Unless you want this to turn into something much worse.”

His breath traced along her skin, sending a chill through her.

“You’re wrong about one thing. No matter how bad things get, there’s always a choice.”

“Then tell me—what choice does someone like me have? A deaf daughter who’s nothing but a burden to her family—how am I supposed to refuse the marriage they’ve decided for me?”

“Say you’ll be mine.”

Serine stared up at him, stunned.

“Are you proposing to me?”

“Not exactly.”

Valoid let out a quiet laugh.

“Just admit that no one else compares after being with me… and stay with me from now on.”

“You want me to be your mistress?”

“That sounds outdated. Let’s just call it… something else.”

“No. I won’t.”

She tried to push him away, but he caught her hand.

“I like you.”

The sudden confession made Serine freeze.

“Ever since last night, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. I couldn’t just hand you over to someone else—so I came to take you.”

Watching her shaken eyes, he was reminded of the phrase emotional deprivation. Women labeled that way were often vulnerable to affection.

“…No. If you truly liked me, you should have proposed. Not blocked my path like this.”

‘Sharp mind.’

“That would be too sudden. We should get to know each other first.”

“I don’t want that.”

“That hurts. What, are you going to run away then? Shall we make it a game of tag?”

As she stepped back, his golden eyes curved like a predator’s.

“Go ahead—run. If you succeed, I’ll let both you and your brother go safely.”

“…You mean that?”

“But if I catch you, you’re mine.”

The moment he stepped forward, a primal fear surged through her.

Like encountering a beast in the wild, she turned and ran.

She barely made it a few steps before he caught her by the back of the neck. Instead of pulling her upright, he shoved her down from behind.

“Ah—!”

The pile of fallen leaves cushioned her fall. It didn’t hurt—but the weight pressing down on her made it hard to breathe.

“Got you.”

A hand reached from behind, covering her mouth. His fingers pressed between her parted lips before she could close them, silencing her attempt to cry out.

“Still so defiant.”

Her resistance was weak, almost pitiful—yet she continued to struggle, trying to push herself away from him.

It was futile.

With one hand, he easily pinned her in place, as if she weighed nothing at all.

“I told you, running only makes it more interesting.”

“Ah—no… please, stop!”

“Your lips act so proper, so restrained—so why are you so… defenseless here? Right at the entrance, too. Even a husband with nothing to offer would think himself lucky.”

Her body, which had resisted him just moments ago, began to betray her instead—reacting in ways she couldn’t control.

“Ah—!”

Serine’s head tipped back as her body trembled. Her composure, once so carefully held, was unraveling piece by piece.

Valoid watched, his gaze darkening with a quiet intensity.

“P-please…”

Turning halfway toward him, Serine’s voice broke as she cried. Her once-composed face was now flushed, her expression crumpled with distress. Tears gathered beneath her long lashes and fell in trembling drops.

“I was on my way to be married… how could this…”

“That’s exactly why. So you won’t be.”

Even as he said it—ruining a woman’s future—his expression remained strikingly composed, almost arrogantly beautiful.

“Herlach isn’t for you. Come to me instead. I’ll treat you better.”

He shifted her position with ease, holding her in place as though she belonged there.

“Don’t—please…”

The protest barely left her lips before it dissolved into another broken breath.

“Mm. There it is.”

His voice lowered, almost satisfied, as if confirming something only he understood.

“I missed you, Serine Penrose.”

Serine pushed weakly against his shoulder, but he caught her hand, lifting it briefly before letting it fall.

Her strength was fading.

Little by little, the distance between resistance and surrender blurred, her body responding despite herself.

And in that quiet, isolated place, it felt as though a wild creature had found her, and would not let her go.